This was one of those books that I stayed up too late to read, and then couldn't sleep for another hour because I was so crushed it was over.

Meg, I beg you, make this a series!!!

My only criticism was how short it was. I could have easily spent pages more in each situation. More details on each interaction would have made my heart happy, if only because I just want to sink deeper into this world and know more about these characters.

You can tell that CS Lewis and Narnia was an influence here, and I adored it. Those books and movies were favorites of mine growing up! Plus, I grew up in Maryland, another of West Virginia's neighbors that has its own Appalachian stories, so the idea of a secret world in the woods wasn't even far-fetched for me. The Appalachian Mountains hold stories far too deep and far too old for us to comprehend, and I'm content to let it filter into our worlds as it sees fit. This might as well be a true story, for all I'm concerned!

I adored Meg Schaffer's The Wishing Game, and this was yet another 5 Star Favorite for me! I'm ready for more, more, MORE!

Thanks to NetGalley, Mag Shaffer, and the publisher for the ARC! The Lost Story debuts on July 16th, 2024!

I loved this book and it was another magical book. Having read and loved The Wishing Game, by Meg Shaffer, I was very excited to dive into her newest book.. The Lost Story is a fairy tale for grown-ups, a wonderful escape into the magical world of Shanandoah. It is about the beauty of childhood imaginations, the magic of far off lands, and relationships lost and found. The main characters are Jeremy Cox, a privileged English boy, and Ralph ("Rafe) Howell, an artistic boy from the other side of the tracks. After a traumatizing event, they disappear in Red Crow State Park for six months, presumed dead. Then they mysteriously return, physically stronger, well-fed, and older, with no explanations. Upon their return, they lose touch, both struggling emotionally, especially Rafe who is suffering from PTSD and chooses to live in seclusion while Jeremy moves to England with his grandmother. These long lost friends are brought back together when a lonely young woman named Emilie reaches out to Jeremy to help find her recently discovered sister who has been missing in Red Crow State Park for 20 years. The three find their way to the magical realm of Shanandoah, which is filled with mystical creatures as well as dangerous ones. What follows is an adventure fit for the most vivid childhood dreams. There is love, conflict, found family, friendship and forgiveness. It is a lovely read!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for this ARC.

Meg Shaffer has struck GOLD yet again with The Lost Story! Her debut novel,The Wishing Game, was my favorite novel in 2023 and The Lost Story is my #1 of 2024, so far.

Shaffer weaves her fairy tale effortlessly and combines elements of Lord of the Flies and Chronicles of Narnia. Through the adventures of Jeremy, Rafe, and Emilia you can clearly see glimpses of both novels she drew inspiration from, which makes my literary heart so happy!

Emilia wants nothing other than to find her missing sister and she enlists the help of Jeremy, a former “lost boy” himself. Jeremy drags in Rafe, who was lost with Jeremy 15 years ago. When both turned up 6 months after they went missing, Rafe with no memory of his time away, everyone was flabbergasted and suspicious. They have to decide if they are up for heading back into the very place they went missing to help Emilia.

This novel is a true fairy tale, as it says it is. I will forever read anything Meg Shaffer writes. She’s 2/2 in my book!

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Meg Shaffer is back after her wildly successful debut "The Wishing Game," and as someone who adored that novel, no one is more excited than I! Growing up, the Chronicles of Narnia was an absolute obsession of mine so when I saw she drew from the classic series as inspo for this book, I could not request the ARC fast enough!

Jeremy and Rafe were such complex characters but made to feel relatable at the same time. I LOVED this setting, the wild West Virginian forests and mountainsides playing second fiddle to this well-crafted plot. I am struggling to review it because I don't want to ruin a single detail for prospective readers, but Shaffer seems to have somehow gotten exponentially better in her sophomore effort. I tore through this and would absolutely re-read it. The mystery, magical realism, and emotional depth of the story was just A+++++.

3.5 stars
This was a fun, easy read that I enjoyed. The story was unique and I thought the writing was wonderful and descriptive enough to build a thorough picture of the world. Some characters were well-rounded while others fell a little flat to me. Jeremy and Rafe felt more real and realized. Rafe was really a bright spot in the story. His character arc was heartfelt and I loved that. Emilie started fairly strong but got lost about halfway through. Skya needed more. The story was exciting for the first half and pulled me in, and then the second half felt very very predictable. Overall, this book was very easy to read and I enjoyed meeting these characters and spending time in this world with them.

The Wishing Game was my favorite novel of 2023, but this just didn’t quite hit the same. I’m rounding up to 4 because it’s a well-written and original story, but it’s a bit too fantastical for me. I liked the magic realism of TWG, whereas this feels like straight fantasy. It also felt like it lagged a bit in the middle and the climax/need to return came rather abruptly. I’ll definitely check out this author’s next work, though.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Four stars! This is a grown-up, gay, Narnia, and I loved it! Brilliant characters and world building.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying I enjoyed this book. The concept was odd and fun, but I lacked connection to the characters. Additionally, this lacked the spark of Shaffer's previous book.

⭐️- Jeremy and Rafe went missing in the Red Crow State Forest at the end of a school field trip. They are eventually found months later, both healthier than when they left and neither will talk about what happened. 15 years later, Jeremy becomes a missing person expert and meets Emily, who is searching for her sister who separately went missing in the Red Crow State Forest.

And so begins a magical adventure full of mystery, love, hope, and personal growth.

Best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell were missing in Red Crow State Forest and reappear six months
later. No one knows where they were or how they survived. Fifteen years later, Rafe is a recluse and Jeremy
is a missing persons investgator.
Emily approaches Jeremy in her pursuit of finding her sister who vanished in the same forest. He agrees to help
her only if Rafe joins the search. When the three head off to the forest, the secrets of the boys' disappearance
will be revealed and what happened to Emily's sister. A story of magic ,friendship and loyalty.
#TheLostStory #Ballantine #NetGalley

Thank you to NetGalley, Meg Shaffer, and Random House Publishing for an e-Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two best friends, Ralph and Jeremy vanish in a forest in West Virginia. Only to magically reappear six months later with no explanation about where they were. This however was only the beginning of their story. Fifteen years later, a girl named Emilie seek their help in finding her missing sister. Along their search we embark on a magical and magnificent journey full of wonder, laughter, hope, and love.

Meg Shaffer is a whimsical wizard. Her writing is what dreams are made of, and you can’t help but get lost in her writing. A magical storyteller whose writing keeps you hooked and gives you the cozy and comfy feeling that I look for when reading. Writing that helps you escape reality and force you to imagine and dream.

Let’s start off with the first thing I said after finishing the book “I think I went in with too high of expectation since I loved The Wishing Game so much. BUT, I still really liked the book.”

It’s a story of two boys who go missing as teenagers and are found six months later hardly worse for wear. The story truly begins 15 years later, Rafe is a recluse artist while Jeremy is known as the guy who finds missing girls. Jeremy is found by a girl, Emilie who wants Jeremy to try and locate her missing sister, who disappeared in the same woods where Jermey and Rafe were lost.

Why didn’t I give this a five-star rating? Well, the ending was a little…abrupt. For being a standalone book, I didn’t feel like I got a solid ending. It did take me a little to get into the book, but just go back to my first reaction to the book and that could explain it.

I recommend those looking for an easy read and a story that will make you want to spend more time in a far away place called Shenandoah.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Meg Shaffer does it again!!

I was so excited to get an ARC from NetGalley because I declared "The Wishing Game" as my favorite book. Before Meg Shaffer, I would say I was not a fantasy fan...but that would be an understatement. Not only did I enjoy this, but it was as amazing as I hoped it would be!

Meg has a way of telling a story that leaves no loops left open, making sure every question or aspect of the story you picked up on is resolved. The imagery and characters she creates are addicting. My only compliant is that I wish she could put out books more quickly- I would read them all. I can't wait for this one to come out to purchase a copy and share it with all my book buddies.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I was not expecting to like this as much as I did but of course I had to read a book touted as Narnia for adults - I loved it. To me it was much more like Inkheart which I loved back in the day - I haven't quite felt magic like that since reading The Lost Story. I'm excited to read Meg Shaffer and see what else she's got.

The Lost Story is young adult truly, no sex scenes, swearing, etc - which was extremely refreshing. I didn't know what I was getting myself in to and was pleasantly surprised on this modern Fairy Tale take. You know it's great fantasy when you want to visit! The characters are all likeable which is so hard to do. Emilie could have easily been obnoxious since quirky is so overdone these days but I grew to like her and find her endearing, each character is fleshed in and has depth. They're complex but the story is never confusing.

The Narrator between the chapters was off putting to me but I ended up liking it in the end.

I can't recommend this enough for fantasy lovers!

What a great read

I loved learning about Jeremy and Rafe being lost in the woods and coming out in better shape than they went in. But how is that possible after six months? I was needing to know more and could not to find out.

Emilie comes along looking for her lost sister after the death of her adopted mother’s passing. She finds Jeremy to help since he is the best person to find lost females.

He agrees to help, but only if Rafe will help him. Snthe adventure begins.

This was such a cute story. I would like to see the next installment for sure!

☆"All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without even leaving your room? A story written by a stranger, and yet it seems they wrote it just for you or to you? Loving and hating people made out of ink and paper, not flesh and blood? Yes, books are magic. Maybe even the strongest magic there is."☆

The Chronicles of Narnia was my absolute favorite book series during my childhood, and it still holds a very sentimental place in my heart. So, when I saw that The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, I jumped at the opportunity to read it - and it certainly did not disappoint. 


The Lost Story begins with teenagers Rafe and Jeremy, who were missing in the woods of West Virginia for six months. When they return, they are in better health than when they left, and there is not a single clue to indicate where they'd been all that time. Rafe has no memory of what occurred in those woods, and Jeremy leaves town - keeping the secrets of what happened to himself. 

Fifteen years later, Jeremy is working for a search and rescue, specializing in locating missing girls. When a woman named Emilie approaches him with an unusual request to locate her sister who has been missing for twenty years, Jeremy is forced to mend his relationship with Rafe and return to the same woods they'd once been lost in. Soon, it becomes clear why he shut Rafe out and kept everything a secret for so many years. 


The Lost Story reads like a queer, adult re-imagining of The Chronicles of Narnia. Meg Shaffer's storytelling was filled with humor, magic, and whimsy that rekindled a spark within my inner child. I can not praise this novel highly enough - a must-read for anyone who grew up reading fantasy and dreaming of adventuring to a new world.

The story had a dreamy quality almost like a lullaby. It is a modern day fairy tale, but still with all of the magic you crave in a story such as this.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Arc of this book.

Thank you Random House and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED The Wishing Game, so I was incredibly excited to have received this ARC. Sadly, I didn't enjoy this book as much. The plot was ok, but it felt kind of disjointed and confusing in the beginning. It was very difficult for me to connect with the characters and I found myself getting bored. The dialog felt bland and half the time I just wanted the characters to get on with it. The world building was minimal and I just could not feel much care for the story.

It was an okay book FOR ME, but I would probably still recommend it.

After reading The Wishing Game, I was so excited to read The Lost Story and it did not disappoint!

I loved that this was another book to remind us all of the magic of stories and writing. There was so much growth, character development and beautiful scenery included. Meg Shafer is truly an artist!

3.5⭐️ The Lost Story was a feel-good fantasy fiction that at times kept me at the edge of seat and other times it made my heart smile. Although I thought some of the dialogue was very cheesy, it was overall very conversational and easy to keep up with. Towards the end, I thought the story dragged on after the Lost Boys made it back home. I was waiting for the story to end, but there just kept being more to read, that I thought would’ve been a good segue for a potential sequel. Overall, I enjoyed this book.